Chelo/Polo/Rice

Ingredients

Makes enough for 4 people:

400g (2 1/4 cups) Basmati rice
1-2 tbsp Salt
2 tbsp Sunflower oil
3 tbsp Water

1. To make the rice, fill a pot halfway with boiling water and add 2 tablespoons salt. With the heat on, add the rice and stir it a few times. Wait 5-10 minutes until rice is tender (test by pinching grain of rice and indicated approx. by rice grains rising to the surface of the water) and then strain the rice.

Tip: Taste the rice once strained. If it is too salty, wash it through with hot water and if it is not wash it through with cold water. This washing will remove the extra starch from the rice and will help make the rice super fluffy!

2. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and 3 tablespoons of water to the base of the pot and cover with the strained rice. With your spoon, shape the rice into a volcano shape and spear deeply several times with a fork (to let air into the base of the pot…for the crunchy rice!).  Put on the lid and put it on the lowest heat possible and leave it for an hour and a half. (An hour is enough for the rice to cook well but the extra half hour is the key to yielding crunchy rice, or, tahdigh).

3. To get the crunchy rice out, use a wooden spoon (non metal, as you will scrape the bottom of the pan) in order to dig out the tahdigh. Refer to Fae’s excellent article for further instructions http://fae-magazine.com/2012/09/25/persian-rice-polo/.